The majority of his songs start out acoustically, and while some transform into full-band material, a lot of the time they are performed acoustically as well. Over the years, Novelli has not only been performing them acoustically but has also essentially reworked them without fully realizing it. “The songs start acoustic and then I hit the studio and bring them to life full arrangement,” he said. “Before I know it, I have the whole band sound to it. Over time I figured out what worked and didn’t work acoustically because at first I was trying to play the songs the way they are on the albums which are full out but I was trying to play that with just an acoustic guitar and it just didn’t work.”

By experimenting with each song, a different side of them started to emerge. As he started to see them differently and they started to create new meanings, he knew that rerecording them was mandatory. The Reimagining, Vol. I is much more than a normal acoustic EP as its production was an intricate as a full-length, full-band record. With new piano and string arrangements to the layout, each song really is its own separate version from its original.

The seven tracks chosen for this EP had previously appeared as full-band arrangements only and were purposefully chosen for that reason. The bulk of the tracks chosen were also from his debut LP, It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason. With all of those ideas in mind, Novelli knew that this was just the beginning of something new. “That’s purposefully why I added Volume I because I think this is something I’m going to carry on,” he said. “I think there needs to be time in between each. I feel like there needs to be some space from recording the original and allowing me to morph them into something else acoustically.”

Since the release of The Reimagining, Vol. I, Novelli has felt a whole new sense of attachment to these songs. By finding a new way to create and express himself, this EP has given him the opportunity to reach a whole new set of listeners. “I just look at it as reimagined, reignited, brought to life in a different form. It’s almost like I was covering someone else’s song in a different way.”